Sydney-based gold and copper explorer Canterbury Resources (ASX:CBY) has completed a soil sampling program alongside its joint venture (JV) partner Alma Metals (ASX:ALM) across its Briggs Copper Project in central Queensland.
Canterbury reports the majority of sampling was undertaken and announced in 2022, though both parties undertook additional sampling along several incomplete lines to remove gaps.
As a result, soil sampling has defined the present copper anomaly at Briggs to be over 2,300m in length and up to 1,000m in width at 500 parts per million (ppm) copper.
Sampling notes within this anomaly there are several clusters of 1,000ppm copper, with a maximum value of 4,710ppm copper, reflecting the known mineralised centres at Briggs Central, the Northern Porphyry, and the Southern Porphyry target.
The company says sampling has led to the belief that copper mineralisation at Briggs is related to 3 early-Triassic porphyritic granodiorite intrusions (North, Central, and South).
These intrusions are noted to have formed stockworks of millimetre to centimetre scale porphyry-style quartz-chalcopyrite-pyrite-molybdenite veins, both within the intrusions and extending well over 150m into the surrounding volcanic sediments.
Meanwhile, sampling has also highlighted anomalous molybdenum (Mo) up to 84ppm, which is associated with the porphyry system. This interpreted molybdenum anomaly is noted to not be perfectly co-incident with copper anomalism but indicates the presence of a polyphase/zoned intrusive system exists at Briggs, as confirmed from core logging.
As a result, a revised exploration target of 480 million tonnes (Mt) to 880Mt @ 0.20% to 0.30% Cu and 25ppm to 40ppm Mo has been defined, which excludes the MRE.
Canterbury says soil sampling over Briggs also demonstrates the currently defined inferred resource closely correlates to drill-tested areas where copper is greater than 500ppm in the soils.
With soil sampling now complete, Canterbury Resources announces drilling will resume shortly and will target potential extensions of the mineralisation to validate the new exploration target. Drilling will also assess the ‘higher-grade’ zones within the MRE.
Canterbury Resources is a publicly listed explorer focused on generating exploration opportunities for gold and copper in the southwest Pacific region.
The company’s Briggs Copper Project represents a JV alongside Alma Metals in central Queensland. The project is located about 60km west of the deep-water port of Gladstone and comprises the Briggs copper deposit, where an inferred Mineral Resource Estimate (MRE) of 415Mt @ 0.25% Cu and 31ppm Mo has been defined.
Write to Adam Drought at Mining.com.au
Images: Canterbury Resources Ltd
